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Top Disability related benefits topic #7651

Subject: "DLA renewal forms expired" First topic | Last topic
Cookie
                              

Welfare Rights Adviser, Havering CAB
Member since
30th Oct 2009

DLA renewal forms expired
Tue 20-Apr-10 12:11 PM

Hi All,

Can anyone tell me - If a client fails to return their DLA “renewal form’s” by the deadline date can the DBC refused them as expired and request the client complete new forms.

Client’s renewal forms had to be returned by March 2010. She had them in her possession for some time before sending them back a few weeks ago. Client informs me that she has had an operation on her arm and was feeling low and could not find anyone to help her with the forms to begin with, hence returning them late.

She called the DBC to make sure they had received her forms and was told that the forms had expired and they were sending out new forms for her to complete. I know the number of the “renewal form” and a “new claim form” is different; however the forms are exactly the same. I feel they are simply being pedantic, why can't they make a decision on the forms that have been sent in??

Mystified!!

  

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Replies to this topic
RE: DLA renewal forms expired, johnwilson, 20th Apr 2010, #1
RE: DLA renewal forms expired, Cookie, 20th Apr 2010, #2
      RE: DLA renewal forms expired, Jane80, 21st Apr 2010, #3
           RE: DLA renewal forms expired, nevip, 21st Apr 2010, #4
                RE: DLA renewal forms expired, Jo Bathie, 21st Apr 2010, #5
                     RE: DLA renewal forms expired, pete c, 22nd Apr 2010, #6

johnwilson
                              

Benefits and Appeals, Dumfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Service
Member since
06th Feb 2008

RE: DLA renewal forms expired
Tue 20-Apr-10 02:11 PM

Has the existing DLA award ended?

  

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Cookie
                              

Welfare Rights Adviser, Havering CAB
Member since
30th Oct 2009

RE: DLA renewal forms expired
Tue 20-Apr-10 03:43 PM

Yes it ended in March 2010.

  

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Jane80
                              

Welfare Rights Officer, Notts County Council
Member since
27th Mar 2008

RE: DLA renewal forms expired
Wed 21-Apr-10 02:43 PM

Wed 21-Apr-10 02:44 PM by Jane80

are you sure a renewal form is different to a new claim form? Looking at a copy of a recent renewal form it says DLA1A Nov 2009 - which I think is the same as the new claim forms.

I don't think they can tell if it is a renewal form or a new claim form. When clients have lost their renewal forms I have given them new claim forms to use instead and this has worked fine.

  

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nevip
                              

welfare rights adviser, sefton metropolitan borough council, liverpool.
Member since
22nd Jan 2004

RE: DLA renewal forms expired
Wed 21-Apr-10 03:17 PM

This is administrative nonsense. Reg 4 of the Claims and Payments Regulations is in the following terms:

“Subject to paragraphs (10) to (11B), every claim for benefit other than a claim for income support or jobseeker’s allowance shall be made in writing on a form approved by the Secretary of State or the Board for the purpose of the benefit for which the claim is made, or in such other manner, being in writing, as the Secretary of State or the Board may accept as sufficient in the circumstances of any particular case”.

It would be pedantic in the extreme to demand that “a form approved by the Secretary of State or the Board for the purpose of the benefit for which the claim is made” only apples to a fresh claim form and not a renewal claim form when the format of both is barely indistinguishable. As long as all the relevant information is provided then the claim should be accepted as “sufficient in the circumstances of any particular case”.

Who trains these individuals in this nonsense.


  

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Jo Bathie
                              

Benefis Adviser - Carers Project, Money Advice Unit - Hertfordshire County Council
Member since
22nd Jan 2004

RE: DLA renewal forms expired
Wed 21-Apr-10 04:24 PM

Wed 21-Apr-10 04:26 PM by Jo Bathie

I think the problem here is where the old award has expired before the renewal forms are received in the DBU at Blackpool - and understand in these circumstances they must treat it as a new claim.

In my experience they just forward the claim form to the relevant regional DBC.

Asking client to complete a new set of forms however seems ridiculously onerous and unreasonable - and I would point this out to them - unless you think your client's application forms would be better completed with help?

  

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pete c
                              

Welfare Rights Officer, Adult Social Care, Cornwall County Council, Truro
Member since
30th Oct 2008

RE: DLA renewal forms expired
Thu 22-Apr-10 12:15 PM

I agree with Jane above, there used to be special renewal forms but I havn't seen one for some considerable time- all the renewals I have done in the last year or two have used new claim forms.

  

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Top Disability related benefits topic #7651First topic | Last topic